Cities in the southeastern U.S. have the biggest share of consumers with unpaid debt, a new report says.

The Urban Institute, a Washington-based think tank, published a detailed report on Tuesday on the level of delinquent debt around the country. (See related post on the WSJ Numbers blog).

The report, based on an analysis of 2013 data from credit reporting firm TransUnion, is an indication that many parts of the country are still struggling with the aftermath of the recession.

The report analyzes debt from credit card bills, child support, medical bills and parking tickets that have been placed in collections, but excluded home loans. The highest level of collections activity is in McAllen, Texas, where nearly 52% of adults had debt reported to a collection agency:

The lowest rate, of nearly 20%, is in Minneapolis:

Nationally, 35% of American adults have a debt in collections, with 77 million people owing an average of $5,200 as of last September, the report says.

“Reported debt in collections is pervasive and threads through nearly all communities,” says Caroline Ratcliffe, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, in a statement. “Delinquent debt can harm credit scores, which can tip employers’ hiring decisions, restrict access to mortgages, and even increase insurance costs.”

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